WASHINGTON (Army News Service, March 29, 2007) - With an interest in military history, it made sense for Robert Bager to join the U.S. Army.
Capt. Robert A. Bager, 25, a scout platoon leader with the 1st Armored Division's 1st Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, died Sept. 21, 2005, at a Texas military hospital. More than three months earlier he had been electrocuted at the Kornwestheim Rail Yard near Stuttgart, Germany, while preparing for a training exercise before his unit deployed.
Bager, an East Amherst, N.Y., native, graduated from the State University of New York in Brockport in 2002 with a bachelor of science in history. He received his commission through the Reserve Officers' Training Corps at SUNY Brockport, which dedicated a page on its Web site in his honor at <a href="http://www.brockport.edu/armyrotc/alumni/bager"target=_blank> www.bockport.edu/armyrotc/alumni/bager</a>.
Friends, former instructors and fellow cadets describe Bager as an officer who exemplified Army Values and whose upbeat attitude inspired others.
"It was an honor to mentor and help develop an officer of Bob's quality," said Maj. Nicholas Teta, recruiting operations officer for SUNY Brockport ROTC. "He was always ready with a joke or smile and he could be relied upon by cadre to help out in the office and/or with other cadets."
While attending the Armor Officer Basic Course at Fort Knox, Ky., Bager received the Warrior Spirit Award for his motivation and contribution to the team.
He served as an armor platoon leader during his 10-month deployment to Iraq from September 2003 to July 2004.
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